The Effect of Censorship on American Film Adaptations Of
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE EFFECT OF CENSORSHIP ON AMERICAN FILM ADAPTATIONS OF SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYS A Thesis by RUTH ANN ALFRED Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2008 Major Subject: English THE EFFECT OF CENSORSHIP ON AMERICAN FILM ADAPTATIONS OF SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYS A Thesis by RUTH ANN ALFRED Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved by: Chair of Committee, Douglas Brooks Committee Members, Anne Morey Arnold Krammer Head of Department, M. Jimmie Killingsworth May 2008 Major Subject: English iii ABSTRACT The Effect of Censorship on American Film Adaptations of Shakespearean Plays. (May 2008) Ruth Ann Alfred, B.A., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Douglas Brooks From July 1, 1934, to November 1, 1968, the Production Code Administration (PCA) oversaw the creation of American motion pictures, in order to improve Hollywood’s moral standing. To assist in this endeavor, the studios produced film adaptations of classic literature, such as the plays of William Shakespeare. In the first two years of the Code’s inception, two Shakespearean films were produced by major studios: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935) and Romeo and Juliet (1936). But were these classic adaptations able to avoid the censorship that other films endured? With the use of archived collections, film viewings, and an in-depth analysis of the plays, multiple versions of the scripts, and other available surviving documents, I was able to see how these productions were affected by the enforcement of film censorship and what it said about the position of Shakespeare’s work in society. A Midsummer Night’s Dream tended to use self-regulation, so as to avoid the censorship of the PCA. However, the film did not escape without some required changes. In spite of the filmmakers’ efforts, there were a few textual changes and the fairy costumes required revisions to meet the PCA’s standards. iv In the case of Romeo and Juliet, the PCA was far more involved in all stages of the film’s production. There were many documented text changes and even a case in which the censors objected to how the actors and director executed a scene on film. The motion picture was created as if it were of the greatest importance by all involved. And, as it were, the existing archives paint a picture of a production that was a sort of battleground in a sociopolitical war between the censors and the filmmakers. As both films arrived on the international stage, this sociopolitical campaigning did not end. During international distribution, the films were each accepted, rejected, and forced to endure further censorship, in order to become acceptable for public screening. This censorship often relayed a message about the location’s societal views and its contrast to American society. v DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my grandmother, Dorothy, who has always encouraged me in my endeavors and kept my supply of smiles well-stocked. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis represents a great many (too many) months of research, writing, and rewriting, as I pursued the elusive Master’s degree. Having finally reached my goal, it is now appropriate to acknowledge those who helped to make this possible. First and foremost, I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Douglas Brooks, and my committee members, Dr. Anne Morey and Dr. Arnold Krammer, for their guidance, patience, and support throughout the course of this research. Thanks also go to my friends and colleagues and the faculty and staff of the English department for making my time at Texas A&M University a wonderful experience. I also wish to extend my gratitude to the staff of the Margaret Herrick Library. Their immeasurable assistance was greatly appreciated. Special thanks go to my two dear friends Lubecca Long, who listened to me talk about my frustrations until I was practically blue in the face, and Maya Scott, who spent many nights walking with me on the track while I reasoned through my research (and yet, magically, never lost a pound). Finally, thanks to my family for their love and encouragement. James, Elizabeth, Randy, Joe, Brian, Joshua, Carrie, Little James, Kathy, Mary, and Nanny, you are what kept me going when I started to lose hope. And Mom, words can’t describe what your love and support mean to me. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION .......................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION................................................................................ 1 II THE PRODUCTION CODE ............................................................... 6 III A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM AND SELF-REGULATION..... 11 IV ROMEO AND JULIET AND ORGANIZATIONAL CENSORSHIP . 19 V CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 31 NOTES ...................................................................................................................... 36 WORKS CITED........................................................................................................ 39 VITA ......................................................................................................................... 45 viii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1 Production Code Seal of Approval............................................................. 4 2 Fairy Costumes........................................................................................... 13 3 Bedroom Scene .......................................................................................... 29 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION With the emergence of nickelodeons, working-class citizens were entertained for five cents a show. Similar to the peep shows of the early twentieth century, the nickelodeons provided visual entertainment for the masses. The content of these films consisted mainly of parades, carnival acts, dances, and so forth. But it was the addition of storylines to films that brought so-called indecent material, such as violence and sexuality, to the motion pictures and attracted a more diverse audience. D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915), for instance, appealed to the middle and upper class. However, the religious conservatives, also members of the middle class, objected to the violence incited by the film. When sound was added to films in the late 1920s, the film industry became increasingly pressured by religious groups to censor the content of motion pictures. Movies, such as The Jazz Singer (1927), directed by Alan Crosland, used the intonations of actors to incorporate sexuality into its songs (Walsh 47). And the persuasive and indiscriminately seductive nature of these films appealed to audiences. At the end of the First World War, society, especially its younger members, began to revolt against social standards of behavior and taste. Women cut their hair, smoked in public, went joy riding, and wore clothes that were much shorter and tended to expose their legs and knees. It was a time when jazz music gained popularity, which led to new dances, such ______________ This thesis follows the style of Film Criticism. 2 as the Charleston. Prohibition was in effect but alcohol was produced and made available in major cities by the local gangsters, who also gained popularity and sometimes achieved stardom during this age. Hollywood also gained tremendous popularity during this period and knew how to keep its audience. Stars, such as Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and sexy Clara Bow, became world famous and, in many cases, were considered more important than their films. The majority of American society had embraced a new sense of “freedom,” where sexuality was openly displayed and the people were enthralled by criminal behavior. And the film industry capitalized on these public interests by including them within multiple films, which were well- received by most audiences. It was this wide appeal that raised concerns for the Catholic moralists. In 1934, Father Daniel A. Lord, a Professor of Dramatics at the University of St. Louis and editor of The Queen’s Work, a religious magazine that focused significant attention on motion pictures, examined 133 films released by the leading producers. Lord objected to several counts of indecent material. Citing premarital sex, seduction, rape, attempted incest, and adultery on his list, Lord believed that audience members would be corrupted by the immorality. The gangster films of the early 1930s, for example, glamorized the criminal lifestyle and showed the methods for crime and murder in detail. This led Lord to create a Catholic movie code. Incorporating his Catholic beliefs and conservative political views, the movie code specifically stated that “crime need not always be punished, as long as the audience is made to know that it is wrong” (Black 13). The Catholic movie codes shaped twentieth-century films into 3 morality plays, clearly distinguishing